Reading the Church Dogmatics 12: The Rules of the Game
The existence of other sciences, and the praiseworthy fidelity with which many of them at least pursue their own axioms and methods, can and must remind [theology] that it must pursue its own task in...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 13: The Possibility of Dogmatics
In this initial approach we may simply say that when we describe the true content of the church’s talk about God as the object of human work or investigation, we presuppose that it has both the...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 14: In Media Res
Dogmatics as an enquiry presupposes that the true content of Christian talk about God can be known by man. It makes this assumption as in and with the Church it believes in Jesus Christ as the...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 15: Theological Certainty and Academic Freedom
[Dogmatics] does not have to begin by finding or inventing the standard by which it measures. It sees and recognises that this is given with the Church . . . . It stands by its claim without...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 16: Reparative Logic
Dogmatics is possible only as theologia crucis, in the act of obedience which is certain in faith, but which for this very reason is humble, always being thrown back to the beginning and having to make...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 17: The Dynamics of Repair
[D]ogmatics as such does not ask what the apostles and the prophets said, but what we must say on the basis of the apostles and prophets. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/1, p. 16. In the previous post,...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 18: Dogmatics as an Act of Faith
[D]ogmatics is quite impossible except as an act of faith, in the determination of human action by listening to Jesus Christ and as obedience to him. Without faith it would be irrelevant and...
View ArticleSurprising Emotional Sense
Frances Spufford’s book Unapologetic (subtitled Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, and published by Faber and Faber in 2012) is wonderful. My paperback...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 19: Depending on Grace
Hence, if we say that dogmatics presupposes faith . . . we say that at every step and with every statement it presupposes the free grace of God which may at any time be given or refused as the object...
View ArticleReading the Church Dogmatics 20: Barth’s sensibility
[T]he decision as to what is or is not true in dogmatics is always a matter of the divine election of grace. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/1, p. 21. So, I’ve come to the end (I think) of my posts on...
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